Publications

The Foster Care to College Partnership (FCTCP) was a three-year foundation-funded initiative led by six different state and community agencies in Washington State. The aim of the FCTCP was to increase the high school graduation and college attendance rate for youth aging out of foster care.

Foster Care to College partners implemented an educational campaign (including a website, direct mail, and local seminars) to encourage youth to attend college and provide information and resources to foster students and their families. In addition, FCTCP agencies established a statewide volunteer mentor program and summer college assistance workshop for foster youth.

As part of the FCTCP initiative, the Institute was asked to evaluate the effectiveness of these activities. This report includes the results of this evaluation. We found that compared to similar youth in foster care, foster students who participated in FCTCP programs were significantly more likely to graduate from high school and attend the first year of college. While high school completion and college enrollment rates for this population are still low, this research shows that these programs hold promise in improving the educational outcomes for youth in foster care.